


Do These Tacos Taste Funny To You?

by matimae



Category: Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (TV 2016)
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Poison, Seizures, Whump, Whumptober 2020, Worry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:49:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27155482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/matimae/pseuds/matimae
Summary: Todd gets poisoned, because really, can any of them catch a break?
Relationships: Farah Black & Todd Brotzman & Dirk Gently
Comments: 3
Kudos: 17
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	Do These Tacos Taste Funny To You?

**Author's Note:**

> written for whumptober no.22 (poisoned, drugged)

“No, you know, I’m totally fine that we don’t have a case. Honest! I think we could all use a nice...break. For a bit. I mean, _at least for a meal_ ,” Dirk drawled on, mushing together his salad with his fork, though never lifting it for a bite.

  
  


Todd could tell he was desperate for a case, and it was killing him that the universe hadn’t brought him anything yet. He, on the other hand, much enjoyed the brief moments of lull that came with the time in-between cases.

  
  


Gave him a chance to kick back on the warn red leather seats of the diner, and maybe even relax.

  
  


“A case will come when the time is right, Dirk. Isn’t that what you always say? So- let’s all just enjoy these, really _awful_ tacos.” Todd laughed.

  
  


Farah playfully hit his shoulder, “Shh, the wait staff will hear you.” She took another bite of her food, “...besides, they’re not that bad at all.”

  
  


Todd just shakes his head and takes a sip of his drink. His lips purse as it reaches his tongue. Damn. Whatever they were using in the Kitchen was not very user friendly. But Farah and Dirk didn’t seem to be bothered at all- maybe he was just getting too picky.

  
  


“Maybe the universe doesn’t think we’re ready? For a new case?” Dirk asked, unable to leave his worry about it in the past.

  
  


“ _Cases find you_ , not the other way around. Maybe one didn’t happen yet because you’ve been searching for one, you’re just supposed to let it happen.” Farah offered, repeating for what was probably the third time the same sentiment.

  
  


“Well, that’s not very fun.”

  
  


Todd looks at Dirk, whose face had become morphed and blurry as he continued to hold his conversation with Farah.

  
  


Todd suddenly didn’t feel good at all. A wave of nausea passed over him, the wooziness taking over his entire mind.

  
  


He takes a deep breath.

  
  


This was probably just another pararibulitis attack.

  
  


Farah and Dirk had now completely melted into the background, he could only pick up snippets of their muted voices, but nothing to focus on.

  
  


He just needed his medication. Right?

  
  


Todd began fumbling around in his coat pocket, sure that he had his prescription in there somewhere. His fingers grabbing loosely against the hard bottle, the stiff digits feeling useless in the task of applying any pressure.

  
  


The numbness wasn’t just in his fingers though, it was set in his face- daring him to speak through useless lips.

  
  


Todd looked through his blurry eyes towards the blobs that appeared to be his friends, who kept saying his name and a bunch of other things that he couldn’t keep straight.

  
  


Sweat was beginning to pool on his already paling face, soaking his shirt collar through.

  
  


“You sure these tacos don’t taste weird to you?” he asked, almost certain that something was wrong, something other than his pararibulitis.

  
  


Yeah, something definitely tasted weird.

  
  


Another wave of nausea hits him but this time with an extra force, his eyes rolled to the back of his head, collapsing with a thud onto the table-booth.

  
  


…

  
  


“Well, that’s not very fun,” Dirk said with a slight sulk. “Waiting never is. I guess sometimes I just feel like I’m no good when I’m not solving cases.”

  
  


Farah gives him a look of empathy, “I hope you know that’s not true though. You’re good no matter if you’re solving cases or just having dinner with friends. Right, Todd?”

  
  


The two turn to their oddly silent friend, who was looking right through them. Dirk couldn’t help but notice that he looked different from before- more...discomforted.

  
  


“Todd, you alright?” the holistic detective asked, a crease of worry appearing on his forehead.

  
  


His friend didn’t respond. Was he ignoring them? Todd just sort of swayed in place, reaching for something in his pocket.

  
  


“Todd, are you feeling alright?” Farah asked, trying to get through to him. “You really don’t look so good...”

  
  


His sweat was soaking through his shirt, and he had a look of helplessness in his eyes that Farah recognized, she knew that he needed to convey something, but for some reason, he just couldn’t get it out.

  
  


Todd sputtered and looked at them- though neither could tell if he could really see them- before cocking his head and saying, “You sure these tacos don’t taste weird to you?”

  
  


Dirk and Farah shared a concerned glance, neither able to do anything before-like someone turned off a light switch- Todd crumbled against himself on onto the booth, his elbow smacking into the side, head lulling in unconsciousness.

  
  


“Todd? Todd!?” Dirk shouted, jumping from his seat.

  
  


“We- uh, we need to call 911. Or, get him to a hospital? Which would be faster?” Farah sputtered, her heart threatening to stop at the sight of her friend, lying limp in front of her.

  
  


“Hospital. Far quicker, I saw one only 5 minutes down the road.” Dirk said, frozen in place.

  
  


The ride to the Hospital was a terrifying one. Todd had started seizing halfway there- and the two were regretting not getting into an ambulance because neither had much knowledge on how to handle it.

  
  


“We’re only 2 minutes away- just, hold on Todd,” Dirk pleaded, as Farah cut another corner around the bend.

  
  


“Do you think this is pararibulitis?” Farah asked, and she turned into the entrance, not bothering to park in the lot.

  
  


“I don’t know...but what else could it be?”

  
  


…

  
  


Todd’s hearing comes back before his vision. The loud never-ending noises of the Hospital giving him a rhythm.

  
  


His blurry eyesight started to come into focus as he saw two faces hovering over him.

  
  


“Hey guys,” he said, his voice nasally.

  
  


Farah and Dirk were sighing with relief above him.

  
  


“Uh, mind to give me a foot of space?”

  
  


Dirk laughed nervously. “Sorry.”

  
  


“So- what exactly...happened?” Todd asked, itching underneath the tube that was attached under his nose.

  
  


Dirk and Farah shared another look. “Well- long story, but turns out those Tacos might've been worse than we thought. Or- _yours_ at least.” Dirk started.

  
  


“The Doctors found 2 different traces of poison in your blood system- we got here just in time for them to be able to reverse the effects,” Farah said, laying out the facts. “A week of bed rest and some continued medication, they say you’ll be fine. You didn’t ingest enough of it to cause any...lasting damages.”

  
  


Todd lays back against his pillow.

  
  


“So...someone just happened to poison my taco? At a random diner in the Midwest? In the middle of our trip?”

  
  


They were all wondering the same thing.

  
  


Dirk couldn’t help but feel a small pang of guilt, he had wanted something to happen so bad, a mystery to solve to just drop on his doorstep, but now that his friend was almost killed it all seemed a little too close.

  
  


“I think...that the universe was giving us a case,” he said slowly.

  
  


“Well, let's solve this one fast. And, no more tacos for the time being,” he added, a slight smile appearing on his now once again life-filled face.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading!! <3


End file.
